Newbie Presenter at the International STC Conference

by Fei Min Lorente, Volunteer Manager and Kate Masters

I’ve attended STC conferences before, but this was the first time I did so as a presenter. It gave the experience a whole new dimension: both nerve-wracking and exhilarating!

How it Began

At the 2005 STC Conference in Seattle, I went to the session on how to submit a winning proposal to the STC program committee. At this session, I met Kate Masters from Nortel Government Solutions in Washington, D.C. We learned that presenters with positive evaluations from previous STC presentations have a better chance of being accepted. Kate and I decided we would submit a proposal for the popular “Beyond the Bleeding Edge” session, which is run by Neil Perlin.

Neil’s sessions are a set of three 25-minute presentations that are about new technologies or existing technologies that are new to technical communicators. As a first-time presenter, there's security in being a part of a larger well-attended presentation versus running a session on your own and hoping your peers will be interested.

Distractions

The Sunday before the conference really begins is usually spent sight-seeing. Not this time. Kate and I hadn’t practiced with the slides out loud, never mind together. Kate knew PowerPoint better than I, and she had arranged the information on the slides so they appeared in logical groups instead of all at once, providing more visual interest and allowing people to focus on the current idea. Instead of sight-seeing in glitzy Las Vegas, we rehearsed in Kate’s hotel room. We jotted down notes for ourselves, tweaked the slides, and practiced some more. It was definitely a working day.

We wanted to refine some of the critical points, so we agreed to practice on our own and then get together for a final dress rehearsal on Tuesday (the second day of the conference) at lunch time. Meanwhile, I uploaded the final slides to the STC web site for 2006 session materials. There, STC attendees who missed the presentation could access our materials.

For the next couple of days, I wasn’t completely focused on what the conference had to offer because I kept thinking about my presentation. While I was waiting for a session to start, I would think of something I wanted to say in my presentation, or how to say it, and then write it down. Although I attended everything from the opening ceremony on, I didn’t spend much time at the vendor booths because I was focused on practicing. I even used one of my breaks to locate the room I was presenting in to see the size and layout.

First-Time Presenter Session

This being our first time presenting at the STC conference, Kate and I both thought it wise to attend the first-time presenter's session on Sunday afternoon. It let us know what to expect about the room, the evaluation sheets, and who to contact for help in case of technical problems. They also encouraged us by emphasizing that the audience wants us to succeed. What I was most concerned about was how people often left at the beginning or in the middle of a presentation. They assured us it was nothing personal, as it happened all the time to everyone. Presentation attendees typically listen for the first 5 minutes before deciding that the presentation isn’t exactly what they are looking for, or they just want the handouts and then move on to some competing interest. At any one time, we’d be competing with 14 to 20 other sessions for an audience. Could we keep their interest?

Notoriety

I got a green and gold ribbon to attach to my name tag identifying me as a speaker. This invited some people to ask me what I'd be talking about. I spent the first two days of the conference perfecting my elevator speech (a long one-line answer).

I also got to talk to people that I wouldn't normally get to meet. For example, at the STC Welcome Reception, I chatted with Neil and listened to his fascinating and funny stories from several decades as an independent consultant. You’ve probably seen Leah Guren’s name on many of the WebEx seminars. Since her presentation immediately followed mine in the “Beyond the Bleeding Edge” session, I got to talk to her, too.

Adrenalin Rush!

Finally! It was time for our presentation, “Formatting Text Files Automagically Using Python Scripts”.

Right before our presentation, I conducted a microphone check and hooked up my laptop to make sure it would work with the projector provided. I had forgotten I usually work with dual monitors, so the projector was an extension of my desktop. In an attack of nerves, I couldn’t remember how to switch it back to single monitor. Fortunately, Neil was there to calm me down, and together we remembered where the check box was. Then there was nothing to do but wait for our turn. In the next 15 minutes, a couple of hundred people wandered into the ballroom, which was large enough to hold over 300 people. Kate had arranged for our handouts to be passed out by the room monitor as they walked in.

Kate began with introductions; I performed my demonstration in the middle; and Kate wrapped it up with our conclusions and contact information. All the practicing had paid off and it came off smoothly and coherently, even with taking turns at the microphone.

If anyone left midway through the presentation, I didn’t notice because I was too focused on what I had to say and trying to remember all the important bits. We were asked serious and thoughtful questions afterwards, which encouraged us to think that they were listening! The hardest part about answering questions was remembering to repeat the question for the audience before answering it. Finished at last, we could sit down, relax, and enjoy being spectators again.

There were two speakers after us in this “Beyond the Bleeding Edge” session. Colin Dawson described using Flash to put embedded help on web pages. Leah Guren’s presentation discussed her usability tests on bilingual web sites. She focused on languages in which the text is read in opposite directions (left-to-right [e.g., the Romance languages] or right-to-left [e.g., Hebrew]). These aren’t areas I normally work in, but it was interesting to see what other people are doing on the bleeding edge. I discovered after my presentation that Colin also writes help for Eclipse, but uses a completely different set of tools.

It Was Fun!

I must confess that I liked the whole experience. Although I was severely distracted by the looming presentation until it was over, I still managed to attend sessions, network, and sight-see between worrying about rehearsing and how it would go. It was reassuring when a few people come up to us after and said how much they enjoyed our presentation.

Doing a shorter presentation and having a co-presenter helped to reduce the stress of being a newbie. Besides getting along well and socializing, Kate and I kept each other company in our stressful moments, and boosted each others’ confidence while giving helpful and positive feedback. I hope I have an opportunity to do this again.

About Fei Min Lorente

Fei Min is working at AMI Semiconductor Canada Company, running her own business called Articulated Concepts on the side, and is the current Volunteer Coordinator. She has held other council positions in the Alberta Chapter, including secretary and vice-president. When she's not doing technical writing or family stuff, Fei Min fills in the spare minutes with scrap booking. When she needs stress relief, she bakes.

About Kate Masters

Kate Masters was equally thrilled and nervous as a first-time presenter with Fei Min Lorente at the 2006 STC Conference. She currently works as a technical writer at Nortel Government Solutions, based in Fairfax, Virginia, USA.